County officials declared a state of emergency for the community of 84 homes 30 miles east of Marysville.

They delivered a temporary tank with a hose attached for residents to fill bottles and buckets.

As Evangelina Munoz lugged two pails into her home on 49er Circle, she said it was to fill her toilet tanks and wash a sink full of dishes.

"I had surgery two years ago and now I cannot carry heavy stuff. But I know I have to do that. Because how am I going to take a shower?" Munoz told KCRA 3.

Residents said the shutoff came as a surprise Thursday afternoon, and many discovered only after they tried to turn on the faucets.

"Nobody thinks you're going to come home to this," said resident Jesse Sander.

Officials said the two wells that feed the town's hilltop tank are running as usual, and the shortage appears to have been caused by a sudden increase in water usage, such as someone filling a swimming pool.

"It appears that there was a large consumption over a couple-day period this week, and so the water tank went from being low to being empty between Wednesday and Thursday of this week," said Kevin Mallen, Yuba County community services director.

Mallen said officials were still investigating and trying to determine the source of the usage spike.

He said if anyone was found to have violated water use restrictions, they could face a fine.

By Friday afternoon, Mallen said the town's tank was nearly a third full - enough to restore service to the town's fire hydrants.

Mallen said there should be enough water in the tank by Monday to restore service to homes.

However, he said the usage restrictions would likely be reinforced to prohibit all yard watering and car washing.

Mallen said a few years ago the county applied for -- and was denied -- a state grant that would have paid for a third well for Gold Village.

He said state officials contacted the county on Thursday and invited them to reapply.

"The water problem, he said, is always going to be an issue. But (county officials) said they'd do everything in their power to keep water here," said resident Lee Brakebill.

Mallen estimated a new well would cost about $500,000 and said he will know in about three months if a new grant application is successful.

Mallen said the county also plans to install water meters in the homes so that it can better monitor individual families' usage.

KCRA THREE NEWS AT 6 P.M. STARTS RIGHT NOW. THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE IN ONE SMALL TOWN HAVE TO DO TO GET THERE WATER. THEY'RE FILLING BUCKETS BECAUSE THERE SINKS ARE DRIVE. ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF MARYSVILLE. OFFICIALS ARE CLOSER TO A SOLUTION TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. DAVID BIENICK SHOWS US HOW PEOPLE ARE COPING WITHOUT WATER. A TEMPORARY TANK. THAT IS HOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING WATER. THE TOWN'S 80 SOME FAMILIES LOVED BUCKETS AND LEVELS. I CANNOT CARRY HEAVY STUFF. THE COUNTY SHUT OFF THE WATER HERE YESTERDAY AFTER THE TOWN'S REGULAR TANK SUDDENLY RAN DRY. NO ONE THINKS YOU'RE GOING TO COME HOME TO THIS. THE WELLS THAT SUPPLY THE TANK ARE RUNNING AS USUAL. THE SHORTAGE WAS CAUSED BY A SUDDEN SPIKE IN WATER USAGE. PERHAPS BY SOMEONE FILLING A SWIMMING POOL. IT APPEARS THERE WAS A LARGE CONSUMPTION OF WATER OVER A COUPLE DAYS SO THE TANK WENT LOW. IT IS ONE THIRD FULL. BY MONDAY THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO TURN THE WATER ON FOR HOMES. THERE WILL BE NO YARD WATERING OR CAR WASHING. THE STATE TURNED DOWN A GRANT REQUEST THAT INVITED THE COUNTY TO REAPPLY. THE WATER IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE. THEY SAID THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO KEEP WATER HERE. IF THE COUNTY WINS THE GRANT IT PLANS TO INSTALL ON ONLY A NEW WELL BUT ALSO WATER METERS. IN CASE THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY, RESIDENTS WILL REALIZE HOW PRECIOUS WATER IS TREATED -- WATER IS.